Richard Burns

Full Bio

Richard Burns is an Professor Emeritus of Operations Research and Management Science at the Smith School of Business, Queens University, Kingston, ON, Canada.

He received his PhD in mathematics from the University of Waterloo. He was a visiting Fellow for a year at the Australian National University in Canberra in 1975.

His specialty is applying mathematics to real world situations which often involves doing innovative research to complete the application of mathematics in unusual situations.

His research and published papers have been in several areas including, but not limited to, shift scheduling, job shop scheduling, database design, production scheduling in heavy industry, optimal metal removal using milling machines, combinatorial optimization, hospital computer systems, and the treatment of bipolar patients taking lithium.

He developed a production scheduling package that minimises the trim loss for paper mills. The package was installed in mills in Thailand, Canada, USA, and England.

He developed a shift scheduling method, and other computer programs, used in many major Canadian hospitals and in federal prisons in New Brunswick, Ontario, and Alberta.

He developed the app MedsReducer, available for both android and apple smart phones, that allows doctors to slowly reduce the dosage of a medication in steps smaller than the minimum dose pill manufactured, without cutting the pills.

Other Activities

He formed, and was president of BCW Consulting Limited in 1974. It became a very successful software development and consulting company and was sold thirty years later in 2004.

He incorporated BCW Systems Limited in 1985 to take over the extensive shift scheduling work of BCW Consulting Limited. In addition to the prison guard contracts, there was a great deal of ongoing consulting and computer development work to do in Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto, so the head office was located in Richmond Hill, north of Toronto. Dr. Burns remained on the Board of Directors and acted as the Chief Scientific Officer for the firm until the employees took over ownership of the company.

He formed a corporation specializing in finance and financial management in 1991 and was president of it for twenty  years, closing it during his retirement years in 2011.

He currently owns and is president of Prappdar Incorporated (2020) which specializes in hospital consulting and the app MedsReducer.

Academic Degrees

PhD Mathematics
University of Waterloo, Faculty of mathematics (1970)

M.A. (Mathematics)
University of Waterloo, Faculty of mathematics (1967)

B.Sc. (Science)
University of Toronto (1961)
Medal winner in graduating class

Academic Experience

Smith School of Business, Queen's University
Emeritus Professor (1999 - Present)
Professor (1981-1999)

Faculty of Mathematics, University of Waterloo
Associate Professor, (1976-1981)
Assistant Professor, (1970-1976)
Lecturer, (1965-1970)

ODCVI in Orillia
Taught high school mathematics (1961-1965)